I mentioned it in the photo thread but know I should have said it here but today, Saturday the fourth is world card making day I've already made some this morning. If I find a design I like I usually make four of them. Actually don't ahve many original ideas I usually pinch them off others.

sigh - I'm sure her shopping trip went well - it just didn't include much for me! I dont' think she really understands how hard it is to get some of the stuff here and how much more expensive it can be :shock:

Nah, got nothing like that. Bought some myself from a stamping company. I'd never used them before but really like the effect of them and I coudln't paint normally to save my life so it's a good way to get the wishywashy effect of them.

You see some such amazing things that people do with crafts and have to wonder how much time they have on their hands or that they got more of one of the creative gene

I was going to suggest to you, Sue, to look into Stampin Up! cause I know they started in the UK last year but it doesn't seem that they service Jersey though. Doesn't seem fair really - are you considered UK only when it's convienient?

Some of the companies accept me as UK but not all. They get upset when they normally use a courier delivery service instead of post. Our sales taxes are different too, strictly speaking they ought to not charge me VAT when sending goods but unless it is a significant amount I don't normally argue. I just bought loads of metallic card and 500 envelopes (bargain price) and got a message from the supplier saying the £3.50 P&P would now be £11 as they couldn't use the courier but as a bonus they removed the sales tax. Imported goods don't attract the local tax unless they are worth more than £300 as it costs too much to collect the tax.

I don't know if you have looked at Joanna Sheen, she sends worldwide postage free, but not for paper and card as that is too heavy. Rubber stamps would be P&P free to Australia.

_________________________Many a child has been spoiled because you can't spank a Grandma!

Well ladies, I was in the UK last week to attend a funeral and since the airfare is an arm and a leg when you book close to the date of travel, like next day, I decided to spend a week there. I arranged to meet a woman from a craft forum site that I use and we hit two craft shops.

I spent too much in the first shop, I bought a couple of sheets of stamps which ate a chuck of plastic, then a few new Cuttlebug folders ate some more.

When we went to the second shop I was very restrained, just bought a few sheets of peeloffs and some cheap metallic card, it was about 5p per sheet for silver mirriboard and silver matt metallic board. Then on the way out we spotted some paper trimmers with changeable cutters. The woman demonstrated it to us and we both resisted temptation.

A couple of days later I was looking on the internet and Googled the trimmer and found one so ordered it, I couldn't resist it. Oooer, it is lovely, about eight different cuts.

_________________________Many a child has been spoiled because you can't spank a Grandma!

I went to a four day retreat over last weekend which was just great. It's the third year I've gone now and it's something I really look forward to. It's on another sheep station that does B&B farmstays and we craft in the shearing shed and we get catered for and all. It's just great. I did 18 layouts and 20 cards.

But out of all the stuff that I took, want to have a guess and what I forgot? Yup, my trimmer. d'oh! Luckily someone had a spare.

Keep your fingers crossed for me, I am booked to go on a parching week in October, I booked it almost a year ago and yesterday I got a message on my answerphone to call the person arranging it as it might be cancelled. Apparently the credit crunch has kicked in and only eight people have indicated they are still going, the rest have pulled out and lost their £25 deposits. Last year it was fully subscribed and wait-listed only for ages. If it is cancelled I lose my airfare as it is non-refundable.

_________________________Many a child has been spoiled because you can't spank a Grandma!

oh they were pretty long days - we didn't waste too much time of petty things like sleep!

My latest toy is the scor-pal. have you guys hear of it? Makes scoring so easy. I like to make boxes and things like that and it makes them easy too. I'll put a photo in the craft gallery of a card box I made.

If I could do 18 layouts in a whole year I think I'd be over the moon, just the idea of getting inspiration for that in 4 days is giving me an attack of the vapours!!! Can't wait to see yours, though, Jill (I might even be able to scraplift some of your hard-earned ideas )

Thanks for the PM Sue, have tossed that one into the 'wish list' basket and we'll see what the 40th birthday fairy brings me

I have a scoring board too, sounds like yours, Sue - a purple-y coloured board. Honestly? I have never used it! I can't get the hang of it, particularly not for the embossing element. Then again, I'm just not a card-maker. I can't seem to get the knack of simplifying things. My cards always end up looking a mess that I'd be ashamed to offer anybody!

Keeping my fingers crossed that your parching weekend doesn't get cancelled! I too remember how much you enjoyed it last year.

Ladies you have finally sort of persuaded me - this evening I have actually stamped no less than four images and painted them!

I was watching some water colour painting on telly this evening so thought perhaps I would stamp a couple of bits and colour them in with paints and it was fun.

Last week I bought some new stamps, I couldn't afford them but they were cute - they are owls. I am waiting for some EZ Mount Foam to arrive so that I can use them, they didn't have any when I bought the stamps and they are rubber rather than acrylic.

A couple of my efforts are sprays of flowers but the others are little fat robins so presumably I cut those out and stick them on cards rather than just leaving them on the scraps of card which I stamped on.

_________________________Many a child has been spoiled because you can't spank a Grandma!

I don't think I'd be able to craft away from home simply because I don't think I'd know which pieces of my 'kit' I'd need. At the very least I'd need my cutting mat, huge ruler and roller cutter, then there's the various glues and sellotapes, then what paper am I going to need, how much, in which colours? Embellishments for finishing: usually I choose these when the main body of work is done, and I try out lots of different things before deciding what to keep ...

You're probably alrdady there by now but I hope you have fun. How big a crafting kit did you take?? That retreat that I go to involves taking four large boxes AND a set of drawers

I like the stamping and card making mostly because it is a small area and becuase if you are stuck for ideas there are so many forums, blogs, galleries that you can get ideas or even just copy straight from.

Needless to say I took lots of the wrong stuff and not enough of the right stuff! I took a glue-gel instead of foam tape and the wretched stuff had solidified in the syringe. Then I didn't take my creasing board nor mini guillitine nor my bowmaker. I really didn't need any of the various markers and fibre tips and only used one pencil from my box of 120 - that raised a few comments though, drool time.

I am going to a workshop in November so that will be fun. I did enjoy this evening, a bit of a challenge making cards to their design.

They have a 'shop' and most things are cheap, like Nesties for £12. I ended up buying a 2nd hand Big Shot for £28, I have ordered a few dies.

_________________________Many a child has been spoiled because you can't spank a Grandma!